Asking Well

On this blog, I’ve written articles about intention and about prayer. In intention, we’re directing our attention in a specific direction, often for a specific result or goal. In prayer, I’ve talked about how we can either be asking or surrendering. Of the two, surrendering is the superior path, Thy will be done.

The implication is that rather than asking and intending, we should be allowing. But by allowing here, I don’t mean a passive allowing. The ego likes to control things and keep them static. Under it’s influence, “go with the flow” can become a trap of indecision, of deciding not to decide. This is inertia, tamas, anti-growth.

Happily, there is a middle ground and connection between intention and surrender. It’s called intuition.

Culturing intuition requires us to settle the dramas of the mind to hear that, at first, “still small voice.” Only it may not come to us as heard. We may see things symbolic or real in our head. We may feel things, like a nudging in the heart or gut. We may simply have a sense of knowing, like “turn here!” Or we note a combination of these. All of the senses plus mind have subtle, less-bound values. By learning to tune in to the inner nudges, we find personal guidance and safety. Some call it listening with the heart as it’s more feeling based.

Many people have intuitive hunches but are not really conscious of the process and thus can’t use it on demand.

From intuition, we can do the asking and then use intention to act on the result. Now we’re intending, but from the bigger picture, in harmony. This can be tricky until you learn to hear clearly and trust what you hear or feel. Intuition doesn’t follow logic and will prod you to do something without explanation. This is where we learn to go with the flow, to surrender, to follow what arises. And that’s how we find the magical shortcuts.

Intuition is simple and unconditional. It will never put you down or be negative or judge. That’s ego. Until we learn to differentiate, ego will often pop up to block, discount or distract us from intuitive signals. It may even play at being our “inner voice”. As we get more practiced, we learn to ignore the false signals and notice the “coincidences” that get us parking spots. Soon we’ll hear the prompts for more profound things that are important to us.

Sometimes we’ll be in a cycle where we’re more directed, with lots of signals. Other times, it’s more our choice or we’re more blocked. In any case, it’s good to be clear what’s important to you. Otherwise, results will be more general and random, cluttering your life unnecessarily. As a friend Karen put it, the angels will shower you with possibilities to see what sticks. Narrowing the range a little can actually simplify your life.